The Government is taking various steps to ensure environment sustainability while constructing the National Highways in the Country. Some of them are as follows:

(i) Implementation of the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015 for carrying out road side and median plantation, landscaping and transplantation;

(ii) Use of alternate material and re-use of waste material;

(iii) Use of plastic waste;

(iv) Guidelines issued for saving of Water Bodies/ Ponds, wild life habitat, forest cover;

(v) Rain water harvesting structure for recharge of ground water;

(vi) Use of fly ash for construction of Road abetment flyover ROB etc.;

(vii) Creation of 75 Amrit sarovars in each district and around 50,000 in the country for conservation of water resources;

(viii) Provision of structural measures for the conservation of wildlife habitat for the stretch passes through any protected area under WPA 1972 or any Eco Sensitive Zone/Eco Fragile area;

(ix) IRC SP – 108, 2015 Guidelines on Preparation and Implementation of Environment Management Plan.

There is no scheme of Government to promote development of Green Highways. However, Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015 has been promulgated for carrying out road side and median plantation, landscaping and transplantation etc.

The Chambal expressway has been renamed as Atal Progress-Way by the Government of M.P during 2021. At present, the NH project is progressing with DPR and Pre- construction activities being carried out for the section of length 36.872 Km in U.P. The tentative Civil Construction cost in U.P section is about Rs. 1100 Cr.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

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MJPS

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